Starting mechanism for automobiles.



B. McGEHEE. STARTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1, 1917-.

Patented May 28,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

TSUKN FIFED M G E'HEE B. McGEHEE. STARTING MECHMHSM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3. $917. I,

Patented May 28,1918.

2 SHEET$-SHEET 2- B M c URNHRD Q E HEE IB'UBNARD MOG-EHEE, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JOSEPH HARRIS BREWER, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

earner.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1918.

Application filed December. 1 1917. Serial No. 204,856.

citizen of the United States, residing at New @rleans, in the county of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Mechanism for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

. This invention relates to improvements in mechanically-operated starting devices for automobile, aeroplane or motor boat engines, and particularly to that class of mechanical starters wherein springs are used,

the springs being initially wound up by the action of the engine when running and released to rotate the crank shaft when it is desired to start the engine.

One object of my invention is to provide a practical and simple construction of this kind which will do away with the necesslty [of cranking the engine by hand orusing electric power and Which will, of course, start the engine from any point.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of this character in which a plurality of spring units are used so that more or less spring units may be used,

depending upon the make of car, the difficulty of starting, et0., without the necessity of changing the operating -mechanism to orrespond. In other words, toprovide a construction in which the same operating ,mechamism may be used in connection with onefor more sets of springs.

A further object is to'provide a construction of this character in which the operation of a starting pedal releases the WsOllnd up springs to thereby cause the cranking of the engine and in which when the springs are run down, the continued movement of the engine acts to rewind the springs and to provide automatically acting mechanism for preventing the overwinding of the springs by jop'eratively disconnecting the spring from the engine when the spring has reached a certain tension.

A further object is to provide a construction of this character in which the motor will carry practically no load after the springs and the starter have been rewound.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the springs being inv elevation;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary longitudinal sectional views of the clutch and re- Winding mechanism; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the levers and and the allied parts;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a series of spring units connected up in accordance with my invention.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that my improved starting mechanism includes a frame 10 which may be made of cast iron, steel or any other suitable material and which is adapted to be attached to the body of the engine, as for instance, by means of the cylinder head bolts 11, these bolts being made long enough to hold the frame 10 rigidly in position. The frame 10 extends beyond the forward end of the engine A and the frame is constructed'to provide bearings 12 and 13 for a main shaft 14, which is freely rotatable in these hearings. This main shaft carries upon it a sprocket Wheel 15 which is engaged by a sprocket chain 16 with a sprocket Wheel 17 mounted upon the engine shaft 18. The frame is also provided at its forward end with a bearing 19 for a stub shaft section 20, which carries upon it a longitudinally shiftable clutch member 21 facing and adapted to engage with a clutch member 22 mounted upon the shaft 14. Preferably the clutch member 22 has the form of a cone and is received within the clutch member 21, which has beveled faces to frictionally engage with the conical ing a plurality of is an outer drum 26 havawls 27 pivotally mounted upon the outer rum and extending downward and in' one direction to and resting against the periphery of the inner drum. These pawls have. rounded cam like surfaces at their extremities where they rest upon the periphery of the drum 25. By means of these pawls the drum 26 is engaged with the drum 25 upon a rotation of the drum 26 in a clockwise direction, but the drum 26 may be disengaged from the inside drum upon a relative rotation of the drum 26 in a counter-clockwise direction. In other words, the inner drum 25 can rotate in a clockwise direction without affecting the outer drum and the outer drum can rotate in a counteraround the drum 25 clockwise direction without affecting the inner drum. The pawls 27 are not as wide as the width of the drum 26 and the interior face of the drum 26 is provided with gear teeth 28.

'Surrounding the shaft 14 and .operatively engaged with the frame 10 is a casing designated 29 open at its end toward the drum or annulus 26 and-held from rotation. Disposed within the casing 29 are a plurality of volute springs 33*, 33 33 and 33. The spring 33 is held to the frame 10 by means bolt 31 so that the outer end of the spring is held from rotation. The inner end of the spring 33 is connected to a bushing 32 which loosely surrounds the shaft 14 and this bushing is connected to the inner end of the spring 33*. The outer end of this spring 33 is connected by a pin 31 to the outer end of the spring 33 and the inner end of this spring 33 is connected by a secondbushing 32 to the inner end of the spring 33 whose outer end is connected by a .pin 31 to the drum 26. Now it. will be seen from Fig. 9 that when the drum 26 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction by the means which will be hereafter described, it will tend to wind up thespring 33 The tension placed upon this spring 33 will cause the bushing 32 to rotate in'a counterclockwise direction which will tend to wind up on the spring 33 and thus the pin 31 or like connection will continue to wind up the spring 33 This will wind up on the spring 33 whose free end is held by the pin 31. Thus the springs are progressively wound up and when the drum 26 is relea'sed, these springs will progressively unwind to cause the rotation of the shaft 14 and the spring of the engine. Any number of these springs may be used connected up as before described. I a

For the purpose of shifting the clutch member 21 out of engagement with the clutch member 22, I provide a longitudinally extending rod 34. This rod is connected to a'lever 35 which is pivoted upon .a bracket the usual manner to the hub 24 and thus it will be seen that a movement of the rod 34 toward the left in Fig. 6, will shift the clutch member 21 out of engagement wlth the clutch member 22 against the force of the spring member 23 and when thls .rod 34 is released, the spring will force the clutch members 21 and 22 into engagement. The rod 34 is preferably upwardly turned at Its end to form a pedal 37 extending through the foot board of the machine. Any other suitable means for shifting the rod 34 may be used, however. The outer drum 26 is provided upon one edge face with the ratchet teeth 38 and coacting therewith is the pawl 39', which is normally held into enagement with the teethvby a sprin 40.

his pawl prevents a rotation of the rum 26 under the action of the springs 33. The

pawl 39 is connected to the lever 35 by means of a wire 41.

Mounted upon the extremity of the shaft section 20 is a pinion 42 which meshes with a relatively large gear wheel 43 mounted upon a winding shaft 44. This shaft 44 carries a pinion 45 which meshes with the teeth 28 on the drum 26. Also mounted upon this shaft 44 is a pinion 46 which meshes with a pinion 47 carried upon a shaft 48, this shaft being screw-threaded and being mounted in suitable bearings. Having screw-threaded engagement with the shaft 48 is a sleeve 49 which is pivotally connected to a lever 50, this lever being slotted to receive the trunnions of the sleeve 49. This lever 50 is pivoted to the bracket 36 and the lever extends beyond the bracket 36 and is provided with a lug 51 which extends across the'path-of movement of the lever 35. A spring 52 engages the upper end of the lever 50 and a contractile spring 53 is connected to the lower portion of the lever 50 and extends from there to the pawl- 39 connecting with the pawl 39 at the same point as does the rod 41. It ,will be seen now that if the lever 35 is forced toward the left as in Fig. 5 that the rod 41 will pull the pawl 39 away from its engagement with the teeth 38 and that if the lower end of the lever 50 be forced toward the left as in Fig. 6, it will also, through the contractile spring 53, cause the pawl to be drawn away from the teeth 38.

The operation of this mechanism is as through the pawls' 27 will hold the exterior drum 26 from rotation in a clockwise direction under the action of the springs 33. At this time the clutch member 21 is in the positlon shown in Fig. 4, that is, the clutch member 21 is released from its engagement with the clutch member 22 but is not shifted a 50 which the clutch toward the left as far as it may be. Now in order to operate the starter, the pedal 37 is depressed which, through therod 34, forces the upper end of the lever 35 toward the left and shifts the clutch member 21 still farther out from engagement with the clutch member 22 (see Fig. 5). The shifting of the lever 35 toward the left, through the connection 41, withdraws the pawl 39 from its engagement with the teeth 38 releasing the inner drum 25 so that the inner drum may turn. The release of the inner drum 25 permits it to'turn in a clockwise dlrection and thus turn with the outer drum 26 under the action of the springs 33. Thus the rotation of the drum'26 is communicatedto the drum 25 and thus to the shaft 14 and through the sprocket chain 16 to the shaft Now when the springs 33 18 of the engine. become entirely unwound and the engine is started, the shaft 14 will continue to rotate in a clockwise direction without, however, affecting the drum 26 because the pawls will simply allow the drum 25 to rotate independently of the drum 26 in this clockwise direction, it being released, of course, as the pawl 39 is at this time out of engagement with the teeth 38.

At the time the springs 33 are unwinding and therefore the force of the springs is being utilized to rotate the shaft 18, the motion of the drum 26 iscommunicated to the shaft 44, thus causing the rotation of the screw shaft 48 and this shifts the lower end of the lever 50 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5, and to the position shown in Fig. '6, so that the upper end of the lever is provided with the lug moves away from the lever 35. Now as soon as the springs are unwound, the operator releases the pedal 37 and the spring 23 throws members 21 and 22 into engagement. This shifts the lever 35 toward the right in Fig. '1, or into the in Fig. 6, releasing the pull on the pawl 39. This would permit the pawl to move into engagement with the teeth 38 were it not that at this time the lever 50 is in position shown in Fig. 6, and therefore, the spring 53 is taut and holds the pawl still out of its engagement. Now as soon as the clutch members 21 and 22 have become engaged with each other, the gear 42 will be driven in a clockwise direction which will rotate the gear 43 and rotate the shaft 44 in a direction to rotate the drum 26 reversely to the drum 25 and thus cause the winding up of the springs.

As the shaft 44 rotates in this direction it will. through the gears 46 and 47 rotate the shaft 48 in a direction to carry the sleeve 49 toward the right as in Fig. 7, and when the lever 50 has been shifted a suflicient distance, the lug 51 will engage the lever 35 shifting the lever rearward and disengaging position shown the clutch members 21 and 22. This rearward shifting of the lever 35 W111 not be suflicient to draw the pawl 39 out of lts engagement with the teeth 38 but the movement of the lever 50 toward the r ght as in Fig. 7 will slacken up on the spring 53 so that the pawl 39 will be thrown into engagement with the teeth 38 at the moment when the clutch member is disengaged from the clutch 22 and the springs have been completely wound up. As soon as the springs are wound up the pawl 39 springs into engagement with the teeth 38 and holds the drum 26 from the reverse rotation unt1l the starter is again operated, as shown 1n Fig. 7. It is to be "noted that the pulleys 27 do not tend to impede the movement of the inner drum in a clockwise direction and thus when rewinding is taking place, that is, when the drum 26 is rotating in a counterclockwise direction to rewind the springs, these pawls 27 do not bind upon the inner drum or resist the movement of the same. After the springs have been rewound and the outer drum 26 ceases to rotate, these pawls, as before remarked, do not bind upon the inner drum 25 and hence the chain 16 will carry practically no load and the shaft 14 will run free.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination with a driving motor, of a starting mechanism therefor comprising a startingshaft operatively connected to the motor to drive or be driven therefrom, a spring motor, means operatively connecting the spring motor to the starting shaft to rotate the latter in a direction to start said driving motor, means normally holding the spring motor from actuation, a clutch member mounted on the starting shaft, a stub shaft carrying a coacting clutch member, springs normally throwing said clutch members into engagement with each other, manually operable means for shifting the clutch members out of engagement with each other and simultaneously shifting said holding means out of operative position, a rewin ing shaft operatively connected tov the spring motor to rewind it, gearing between said stub shaft and the rewinding shaft, and means acting when the springs of the motor have been rewound to a predetermined tension shifting said clutches out of engagement with each other and releasing said holding means to permit the holding means to return to its normal position to hold the spring motor from actuation.

2. A startlng mechanism including a main shaft, a spring motor, concentric drums, the inner drum being mounted upon the main shaft, the outer drum being operatively connected to the spring motor'to be rotated thereby. means on the outer drum operatively engaging the inner drum for rotation mounted upon the main startin in one direction, but releasing said engagement upon a rotation in the opposite direction. holding means normally engaging the outer drum to prevent rotation of said rum under the action of the motor, manually operable means. for shifting said holding means out of engagement with its drum, means becoming operative upon the release of said manually actuatable means, causing the winding up of the motor spring, and

means for disengaging the spring winding means from the spring upon a predetermined number of rotations of the shaft and causing the return of said'holding meansto its normal position in engagement with and causing the simultaneous rotation of the drums in one direction but permitting the outer drum to rotate in a reverse direction to the inner drum, a latch holdin the outer drum from rotation by the spring motor, manually operable means for releasing said latch, and means operating when the spring motor has run down to automatically connect the starting shaft with the outer drum to cause a reverse rotation of the outer drum and a rewinding of the motor, and means acting automatically when the springs have been rewound to disconnect the operative engagement between the outer drum and the starting shaft.

4, A starting mechanism including an engine shaft, a starting shaft, operatlve connections between thev engine shaft and the starting shaft, a spring motor, a drum mounted upon the main starting shaft, an outer drum concentric to the first named drum and operatively connected to the motor to be rotated thereby, pawls disposed between the outer drum and the inner drum and causing the simultaneous rotation of the drums in one direction but permitting the outer drum to rotate in a reverse direction to the inner drum, a latch holding the outer drum from rotation by the spring motor, manually operable means for releasing said latch, aclutch member mounted on the starting shaft, a stub shaft carrying a coacting clutch member, springs normally throwing said clutch members into engagement with each other, and manually operable means for shifting the clutch members out of engagement with each other and simultaneously disengaging said latch from engagement with the outer drum, a rewinding shaft operatively connected to the outer drum,

gearing between said stub shaft and the rewinding shaft, and means acting when the springs of the motor have been rewound to a predetermined tension, shifting said clutches out of engagement with each other and releasing said latch to permit the latch to return to its normal position.

5. A starting mechanism including an engine shaft, a starting shaft, operative connections between the engine shaft and the starting shaft, a spring motor, a drum mounted upon the main startin shaft, an outer drum concentric to the rst named drum and operatively connected to the motor to be rotated thereby, pawls disposed between the outer drum and the inner drum and causing the simultaneous rotation of the drums in one direction but permitting the outer drum to rotate in a reverse direction to the inner drum, a latch holding the outer drum from rotation by the spring motor, a a clutch member mounted on the starting shaft, a stub shaft carrying a coacting clutch member, springs normally throwin said clutch members into engagement with each other, and manually operable means for shifting the clutch members out of engagement with each other and simultaneously releasing said latch, a rewinding shaft operatively connected to the outer drum, gearing between said stub shaft and the rewindmg from the rewinding shaft, a sleeve engaging the screwsthreads of the said shaft, a lever connected to said sleeve operatively engaging the shiftable clutch member to thereby cause the shifting of the shiftable clutch member out of engagement with the clutch member on the main shaft when the rewinding shaft is rotated a predetermined amount, and means on said lever operatively engaging the latch to hold it out of engagement while the springs are being rewound but permitting'thelatch to engage the outer drum when the springs have been rewound.

6. A starting mechanism comprising a I main shaft having means whereby it may be connected to an engine shaft to rotate therewith, an inner drum on the main shaft, an outer drum having pawls engaging the inner drum for rotation in one direction, a spring connected to rotate the outer drum with the inner drum, a latch holding the outer drum from rotation under the force of the spring, means for reversely rotating the drum in a direction to wind up the spring, manually operable means for releasing said latch to permit the unwinding of the spring'and successively connecting the shaft to the drum rotating means while holding the latch out of operation, and means acting upon a predetermined rotation of the outer drum to disengage the rewinding mechanism from the main shaft and simultaneously permit the latch to engage the outer drum.

shaft, a screw-threaded shaft driven having sprocket wheels thereon, a sprocket mounted upon 7.,A starting mechanism including a starting shaft, an engine shaft, said shafts chain conneetin the shafts, an inner drum e starting shaft and rotating therewith, an outer drum concentric to the main drum, p'awls disposedbetween the drums and causing a simultaneous rotation of the drums in one direction but permitting the outer drum to rotate reversely in reference to'the inner drum, nected to the outer drum, gear teeth on the inside face of the outer drum, a clutch mem-' ber carried on the starting shaft a stub shaft hav' a coacting clutch member movable towar or from the first named clutch member, a spring normally urging the movable clutch member into engagementwith the opposed elutch member, a pinion on the stub shaft, a rewinding shaft having a gear wheel 7 engaging the internal teeth on the outer drum and having a gear wheel engaged by 00,10: at this patent my be obtained for five cents each,

Washington, D. a.

a spring motor eon-.

the pinion, a lever operatively connected to the shiftable clutch member, a manually actuable rod connected to said lever to shift the movable clutch member, away from the opposite clutch member, a screw shaft operatively geared to said rewin shaft, a sleeve mounted on the screw sha a lever connected to said sleeve and operatively engagingwith the first named lever upon a movement in one direction but having free movement in thexopposite direction, a latch normall engaged with the outer drum and yielding y urged into such engagement, and flexible connections from said latch to the first and second named levers.

In testimon whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in t e presence of two witnesses.

BURNARD M GEHEE. Witnemesz I Fmmns J. Scmonn Imaz Banners.

byaddremng the commissioner of 2mm, 

